The Kindness of Strangers… (a Giveaway)

And the winner is…Amanda, with comment #9! Thank you so much to everyone who entered 🙂

Ever since Boston, that terrible day in Boston, I’ve been trying to figure out what to say, what to do, how to process it.

Each time one of these attacks happen…Oklahoma City, the World Trade Center, Newtown, now Boston…it shakes me up. I’ve been fortunate enough to not be personally affected by each act of terror, in that nobody that I know and love has been hurt or killed or even in danger.

Each time one of these attacks happen, though…I find myself losing a little more faith in humanity, doubting a little more, circling the wagons around my family and friends, wanting to withdraw.

Each time one of these attacks happen…I find it easier to slip into “us” instead of “them”, easier to judge, easier to cast a suspicious glance, easier to pass through the lives of those around me without looking beyond the cover of their book.

Each time one of these attacks happen…I feel the lure of jingoism, the desire for revenge, the bitter-tasting rage that just wants to make it all go away, and failing that, to make sure that those who attack suffer.

If I listened to the media, consumed a steady diet of the news and commentary on the news and twitter feeds of the anxious, then I’m not sure I could survive. We’re told that everyone is out to get us, that everyone is not to be trusted, Stranger Danger on a global scale.

And yet – there’s the other side of my soul, the side that believes it truly is possible to overcome evil with good, darkness with light. I really do feel, as Anne Frank wrote before her death, “…in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.”

Peace begins with a smile. Smile five times a day at someone you don’t really want to smile at; do it for peace. Let us radiate the peace of God and so light His light and extinguish in the world and in the hearts of all men all hatred and love for power. ~Mother Teresa~

So, as I thought of all this last week, an idea began to take shape. I can’t do anything grand to set the world to rights, but I can do a little something to proclaim my faith in humankind. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a knitter. I love to knit things for myself, for my family, for my friends.

This week, I knit something for one of you. It’s a Hitchhiker shawlette, made out of Diversity yarn. According to the pattern designer, the pattern was named because of the number of points – 42 – which as any Douglas Adams fan can tell you is indeed the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything. Diversity yarn was chosen for the name – we do live in a diverse world, a world of different creeds and color and custom, and that’s what makes it beautiful.

How to enter

Normally, for a giveaway, I ask that you share the post link, and then comment back here with proof of sharing. But in the spirit of trusting, I’m not going to ask for proof that you’ve shared it.

To enter this giveaway, please do share this link. Most importantly, though, leave a comment – a very specific type of comment. I want to hear your stories of the kindness of strangers; you being kind to a stranger, a stranger being kind to you…those serendipitous moments where you made a connection with another human being just because.

If you don’t have one of those stories immediately in mind, then my challenge to you is to create one of those stories. Between now and Wednesday, May 15, reach out. Look around you for a chance to be kind – try to see the stranger passing by as not a potential threat, not someone to be feared or avoided, but a human just as yourself. Even if it’s as simple as smiling 5 times a day at someone you’d rather not smile at, do it. And then come tell us about it here – both because you’ll have a chance to win the giveaway, and because it will do us all good to hear it.

I realize I’m putting a lot of faith in the effects of some pretty string, a couple of sticks, and some time…but I really do think that each one of us can change the world, just a little bit, if we reach out.

I’ll use random.org to select a winner on Wed. May 15, at 2:49 pm EDT.

A month ago my son and I happened upon what looked like a car accident. We saw 2 cars parked on the side of the road, and a woman sitting on the grass with her dog. The woman was upset, disheveled, grasping her dog’s leash. We decided to stop; something said I was needed and I had to go to the woman. As we parked our vehicle, we noticed a car was up a tree. Yes, the woman had driven her car up a tree, and only one wheel was on the ground.
As we left our van we could hear the sirens, indicating help was on the way. And I hesitated. Because I’m just a woman. How could I help more than the EMTs, paramedics, and police? My son asked if we should still help, and with certainty, I said yes. We were drawn to the woman in the grass, with her dog by her side. I couldn’t turn my back on her.
As we approached, she tried to stand, reached out to me, and pleaded for me to help her. I went to her, held her as I would if she were my daughter, and assured her help was on the way and she’d be ok. The police arrived then, and tried to get information out of her. Anyone else in the car? How did she get out? Where did she live? Does she know where she is? Can they take the dog. She did not want to let go of her dog. But with reassurance, as she held onto me and wouldn’t let go, she released her dog to the police. And as she clung to me, begging me to not leave her, the paramedics were able to get a cervical collar around her neck and strap her to a board, lift her onto the stretcher, and get her to the ambulance.
I saw her the next day (she had given her address to the fireman and we were able to remember it) and she was doing well.

Many years ago, I lost my young husband. His death was public and had a good amount of local television coverage. During the time of his funeral and passing many, many acts of kindness were poured out toward me. But there is one I have never forgotten. Weeks later, I was eating dinner at Waffle House alone. I didn’t have much of an appetite, but didn’t want to eat at home alone either. When I went to pay the bill the waitress told me, “Your bill has been paid…someone recognized your face and wanted to do something for you.” I left crying. I have no idea how much the bill was or who the person was. But someone in that diner had watched the local news and had paid attention to the faces on a news story. Then and there I realized every news story is not just something to fill air time. It is a glimpse into a horrific moment of an actual person’s life. But if I take the time and energy to notice, really notice, and lift them to the Lord in prayer, it has to make a difference. It did for me.

Beautiful work on the shawlette! Thanks for doing your part to make the world a bit brighter…what a treasure you are!

I have many examples popping in my head of small things that made a big difference. I think those things matter even more. Someone stopping at the store for me, seeing a little something at a store or rummage sale that they thought I’d like, someone helping load groceries in my car when they see me struggling with four kids, kind comments from strangers that make me step back and see things in a different way. I think we sometimes don’t realize the impact those things have on people.
Thank you for doing this. We need to remember that there are so many good people out there!

I shared via email to my sister. I was a cashier ay a local store and had several people in line. The person next up was a man who said he wanted to pay for the items the next man had – he was a soldier in uniform – and wanted to do it to thank him for his service. I thought that was wonderful! Now I can’t afford to do that, but everytime I see a soldier I thank him or her. Thanks

I have had many experiences of receiving kindness from strangers. The one that sticks out in my mind this afternoon was of my trip to Scotland 5 years ago. Long story short, I got lost in Glasgow, and a complete stranger on the bus helped me to get back to my hostel; he even rode with me until my stop.

A few days before Xmas my hubby, son and I were having dinner at local restaurant. Our server handed us a note at the end of the meal and informed us that our meal had been payed for by another customer. The note said “you have received a random act of kindness in honor of the 26 killed in Connecticut”. Not only did I have tears of gratitude that someone paid out bill, but to honor those lost in the tragedy was also touching.

shared on fb . Today someone showed kindness to me when I took some things into a consignment shop. I had several tubs to carry and my 2 1/2 yo dd. They didn’t take all my things so I still had a lot to carry back out to my car. One of the eldery works actually came out with me and offed to carry everything to my car for me. I was going to get one of my tubs and have my dd hold my pocket like she did on the way in. I thought the lady was just going to carry my other bin while I carried the first. But she said “no , really, go ahead and take care of your daughter, I’ll get all these” I was surprised! And she did, carry everything in several trips. And then asked me how I like my Subaru because she and her husband are thinking about getting one too.